Richard Tankard -- collection of newspaper clips

 Lucky. . .touch wood -- Warrnambool Standard 2nd May 2002 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2002 All rights reserved
WARRNAMBOOL musician Richard Tankard was counting his lucky stars recently when he narrowly avoided having gear stolen after a gig in Brisbane. The Things of Stone and Wood keyboardist may have been fortunate, but his band mates were not. The popular Australian band had just packed most of its gear into multi-instrumentalist John Bedggood’s car after performance at The Zoo in Brisbane on Saturday, April 13. Fifteen minutes after the car was left in ‘secure area’, thieves arrived, making off with the car and the gear. Lead singer Greg Arnold estimated the musical equipment and vehicle together were worth about $20,000. The offenders took a handmade Sleishman drumkit, three Maton guitars, a Roland keyboard and stand, a keyboard stool, a mandolin, guitar leads, a microphone, effects pedals and four guitar stands. Arnold said many of the instruments and equipment stolen had "big-time emotional stuff attached to them". Two of Arnold’s guitars were taken and had lyrics written on the top of them, while Tony Floyd’s stolen drumkit is one of only three similar kits in the country. Tankard said he was lucky to avoid having his own gear stolen. "I remember saying to Bedg ‘Is there any room in (the car) for my gear?’," he re-called. Fortunately, the car was full, forcing Tankard to lug his equipment to the nearby hotel. The next morning, the band awoke to find the car and its treasured gear had gone and were forced to watch the incident on a security camera tape. Arnold said watching the tape was "unpleasant" and gave an interesting insight into the theft. "It was frightening. It was a bit too professional — it really didn’t look like couple of pissed blokes going for a bit of drive on a Saturday night." The professional nature of the crime was unnerving, he added. "It added a whole new unpleasant stalking quality to it all," Arnold said. The band is in the middle of a three-week tour, playing with new and borrowed gear in order to keep its commitments. Tankard and Arnold said Bedggood had been hit hardest by the crime because his equipment was not insured. The band is organising a ‘Bedg Benefit’ on June 29 at its old stomping ground, the Prince Patrick in Collingwood. Meanwhile, Things of Stone and Wood’s best of album So Far. . . (1992-2002) will be out in the coming weeks. It features six new songs, three of which have Tankard performing on them.

MUSO SELLS HIS SOUL -- Warrnambool Standard 25th March 2004 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2004 All rights reserved
THE saying that musicians spend their whole lives making their first album is certainly true for Warrnambool five-piece Tank Dilemma. Inner Soul is the end a year journey for band mastermind Richard Tankard. The group will launch CD on Saturday night at the Caledonian in Port Fairy and at Hotel Warrnambool May 9. Tankard wrote one of tracks, Brickwalls, 1993 before he moved Warrnambool in 1994. Most of the other songs were written when Tankard, 33, was his 20s. Some of the music was recorded in 1999 and 2001, but most was over the ’03/’04 summer. It’s a pretty full on thing to do, recording an album,” Tankard explained. There’s a decision at every turn — a decision about a lyric or a line or a part or the mix — and if make the wrong one it impacts on the next decision,” he said, giving an insight not only into band name, but perhaps also why the record so long to make. The other reason it’s taken so long is that all the musos, myself included, are busy making a living of music.” Tankard’s other commitments include Things Of Stone And Wood, regular solo gigs and Hotel Warrnambool jazz nights, Melbourne group Thin Man, and backing Shane Howard at the Folkie recently along with fellow Dilemma members Ruben Shannon (bass) and Jon Emry (drums). Somehow he found time to record Inner Soul at Warrnambool’s Motherlode Studios. Warrnambool musicians Emry, Shannon, Matt Hewson (sax), Brad Harrison (sax), and special guests Karl Laskowski, Glenn Board, Lyn Eales, and John Hudson added their talents to the project. The singer-songwriter is proud of the fact he used only local musos on the album. He admitted being delighted with the way it sounds, despite being a perfectionist. Tankard said he resisted the urge to rewrite some of the lyrics and was pleased with the way some of the older tunes held up. “I read the lyrics and went ‘That sounds a bit 20-something-ish (but) the songs are snapshots of whatever moment I was in or the way I was feeling that day,” he said. His listening habits during his 20s also inadvertently shaped the sound of the songs.

 CD REVIEW Inner Soul — Tank Dilemma (Independent)
 WHILE Tank Dilemma is always going to be infinitely better live than on CD, Richard Tankard has used the studio to add additional dimensions to great songs. Tankard’s influences shine through, whether it be Joe Jackson, Harry Connick Jr, Stevie Wonder or even Yes. They never overwhelm his knack for writing familiar-sounding but original songs such as the soulful He Who Hesitates, the plaintively sweet Are You Just Wasting Time and the super-funky Way It’s Always Been. There’s some great variation including the gentle sax number Song For Braddles and the psychedelic Otherside. Although the wacky Set The Agenda Brenda seems a little out of place, gems like the title track and Lovesong make this one of the best albums ever made in Warrnambool

Line-up dilemma -- Warrnambool Standard 21st July 2005 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2005.  All rights reserved
A NEW-LOOK Tank Dilemma will emerge during the coming weeks, bringing with it some new material and a new lease on life. The WAMI award-winning funk-soul act, led by keyboardist-vocalist Richard Tankard, is looking to consolidate its line-up while bassist Ruben Shannon is on tour around the country with Warumpi Band singer-songwriter Neil Murray. Recently returned local Geoff Cain (Southern Sons) will fill in for Shannon and the departure of drummer Jon Emry has paved the way for Chris Hedges (A Bit How Ya Goin’) to join the line-up. Tankard said he had also been calling on ex-Slap ’n’ The Cats stickman Rob “Billy” Bevan and former Blue Heat cohort Barry Galbraith to fill the drum stool on occasions. The brass section will mostly compromise Matt Trenery (Gorgonzola, Blue Heat), the band leader said, with Matt Hewson (Piffen Yonnies, The Extreme Sprinklers) who is now a semi-regular member because of other band commitments. Tankard, Cain and Trenery will be joined by Galbraith for the Hotel Warrnambool’s next jazz session (July 28). Hedges will take up his position behind the kit at Peterborough’s Schomberg Inn on July 30. The first full five-piece hit-out will be on Sunday, July 31, at the Hotel Warrnambool. Tank Dilemma will also hit Geelong, Bendigo and Warrnambool’s Criterion Hotel in the coming weeks. Aside from some new faces, Tankard said he hoped to unveil some new original material that ranges from “jangly pop” to “fat, funky singalongs”. While nothing is definite, he said he would love to be back in the recording studio later this year. “Once I start writing songs it’s time get them down in the studio,” Tankard said. He has put out a solo album and a Tank Dilemma record in recent years but said he was still tossing up which way to go with the new material. “I don’t know what the next recording is. The thought of really stripping it back and playing more piano is very appealing,” he said. He added, however, that may just be a reaction to his lengthy labouring over Tank Dilemma’s Inner Soul album. In the meantime, Tankard will perform with Lyn Eales tonight as part of the Seanchai’s winter concert series and will play solo at the Woolsthorpe Hotel tomorrow night.

 Correction -- Warrnambool Standard January 12th, 2007 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2007.  All rights reserved
Richard Tankard will perform at the Kirkstall Hotel tonight, not at the National Hotel in Woolsthorpe as stated in yesterday's gig guide.


Tankard goes Green -- Warrnambool Standard Dec 4th, 2008 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2008.  All rights reserved
WARRNAMBOOL singersongwriter Richard Tankard has been the regular keyboardist for iconic Aussie musician Richard Clapton this year, providing the chance to grace some big stages alongside some big names. They don’t get much bigger than the Day On The Green gig on Saturday at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley, where the two Richards (and band) will perform alongside Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels, Even and Mark Seymour.


Tank Dilemma is festival's drawcard -- Warrnambool Standard May 14th, 2009 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2009.  All rights reserved
 Tank Dilemma, a popular Warr­nambool act, will headline a boutique festival near Bendigo this weekend. The grassroots Pinnacles Music Weekend is on Saturday at a property near Axedale, just 15km west of Bendigo. Tank Dilemma will close the night. Also on the bill is Greg Champion, Damian Howard & The Ploughboys, Dave Walker & The Blue Moon Lodge, Rose Bygrave, Kutcha Edwards, Lee Morgan Band, Silhouette, Anita Dullard, Paul Howard Band and Saoirse. In just its second year, The Pinnacles Music Weekend is a camping festival with a family focus - it's exactly the kind of festival Meredith and Falls started out as. Tank Dilemma will be sporting a new temporary look for the Pinnacles gig. Instead ofthe usual horn section, the Dilemma will be joined by guitarist Shannon Bourne, who has played with the likes of Chris Wilson, Broderick Smith and Checkerboard. Tank Dilemma frontman Richard Tankard described Bourne as one of the country's best R&B guitarists. If you like feel heading north for some good music this weekend and taking part in the festival, contact Chris on 5966 6251 to secure your ticket.